Venetian shade



a. c. LAwsoN ET 1.

March 22, 1938.

VENETIAN SHADE Filed Sept. 29, 1956 INVENTORS aorrF/E/p'amwso/v r W 9 m 0 m p v A 1 k Patented Mar. 22, 1938 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VENETIAN SHADE Gottfrld C. Lawson and Carl Lindqnist.

Cleveland, Ohio Application September 29, 1936, SerialNo. 103,090 11 Claimia (Cl. 156-17) This invention relates to Venetian blinds and Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-4 of more particularly to an improved means for se- Fig. curing the laddertapes which support the slats I Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the between the upper and lower rails to said rails. resilient metal wedge used in our invention;

5 This application is in part a division of our Fig. 4 is a perspective of a wood rail adapted t5 pending application Serial No. 753,586, filed Noto our invention; and vember 19, 1934. a Fig. 5 is a section on the line H of Fig. 4.

Venetian blinds usually comprise a tiltable top Referringv to the drawing throughout which rail which may carry suspended therefrom two like parts are designated by like reference charor more ladder tapes, on the cross pieces of which acters. the connection of the tape to the upper 10 are supported the usual slats. The bottom ends tilt rail only is shown, it being understood that of the ladder tapes usually carry a bottom rail. the connection of thetape to the lower rail may Heretofore the ladder tapes have been secured be similar. to the upper and lower rails, which are usually An upper non-tilting head rail l is provided 1 made of wood, by tacking the same to the rails adapted for attachment to the casing of a winll! with nails, tacks, or by screws which pass dow or the like in any desirable manner. It is through the fabric of the tape into the-'ra'ils. provided with downwardly depending brackets The previous means used for securing the tapes 2 at the ends for the reception of the trunnions to the rails had several disadvantages: tacks "3 ofthe upper tilt rail 4.

through the fabric of the ladder tapes tended A cord 5 is shown for raising and lowering the go to weaken the fabric; not only did they weaken blind but forms no particular part of the presthe fabric, but they concentrated the area where ent invention and hence will not be further conthe strain comes upon the fabric to a very small sidered. v area, t causing t e p s o ea q c y we have found metal rails to be particularly when under slight strain. It was alsoconsiderdesirable, but it is to be understood that the rail able work to remove the tapes from the rails for may be wood or other material'and that the incl'eaning; -and after being removed a few times vention is not limited to metal'rails. As best the rail was mutilated by being filled with tack I shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the rail comprises a flat holes. with the prior art devices it was also -intermediate portion 8 andhaving curved sides 7 diflicult to adjust the tapes to the desired length. or beads 'l. The space between the free edges 810 By our present invention, the defects of the may be filled with a strip as shown in our coprior tape holding methods have been eliminated pending application Serial No. 55,540 of Decemd t tapes y be qu k y an asily at a ed ber 21, 1935. In the top rail, however, the strip to the rails without the use of tools. Furtherwould not show, so therefore it may be elimimore by our improved clamping means the place at d for r n of economy. 35 where the tape is attached to the rail is a di Each of the sides I is provided with an elontributed' area extending across the entire width gated sl t 9 extending longitudinally of the rail of the tap and p v din an extremely strong and of a length and breadth sufllcient to permit attachment. The device is particularly adapted the easy insertion of a ladder tape III, which lad- 40 to metal rails, but is also capable of attachment der tape may-be of the usual and well known 40' to the wood rails with but slight change thereto. construction. The free end ll of the t p The tapes maybe quickly and easily removed tends into the interior of the rail and is secured for cleaning and readily adjusted to the desired a by g ffi h i. gg fg g'i h is;

we ge may a e o n e lilgighoflzgl'ifllzt any apparent wear to either the f ggi f i t e gl l ybe fii pg i":

' nga oar yexnng anges. e

Still other desirable features of the invention I cup is forced into the slot 9 and the i '2 em and the invention itself will become more ap- 1 gages the tape for the entire width of the tape parent from the following description which toholdmg 1t securely against the edgelof the metal to gather with the mmpmymg drawing rot-mm; the slots. The flanges i: lay along the to ates the inventmn- .exterior surface of the rail conforming to the the drawing: surface thereof, preventing the clip from being Fi 1 is a fragmentary elevetlonfll View Show pushed entirely through the slot and furnishing ing the upper tiltable rail and the end 01 a lada convenient means for engaging the clip for 66 der tape attached thereto 1" removal It is obvious that the invention may also be applied to blinds where the tilt means for the slat is enclosed in the head rail, the head rail acting as a housing for the tilting and raising mechanism. Inthis case a single rod might be journalled in bearings on opposite ends of the head rail and the tilt means be connected directly on the rods or even in some instances be separate levers connected by gears to such a rod. In either event the tapes would be secured in a socket to the tilting member or members in a similar manner to that previously described. It being understood that the tape fastening means is not limited merely to attachment of tapes to tilt rails such as are disclosed in the drawing.

Figs. 4 and 5 show a wood rail adapted for use with our invention. In this instance the edges ll of the rail are hollowed out to provide pockets l5 and over the pockets are disposed plates [6 secured to the rail by screws or the like IT. The plates have slot 8a similar to those in the metal rail. The manner in which the tape ends are held in the slots is exactly the same as in the metal rails.

It is to be noted that by this improved fastening means the strain of the fastening is distributed across the entire width of thetape instead of being localized in a small area. We have found that it is practicallyimpossible to disengage the tape from the slat by pulling upon the tape and that the tape can be quickly removed or inserted without the use of tools. This ease of removal also facilitates the making of the proper adjustment of the tapes as to length. The clip being resilient also permits certain variations .in thickness of the tape. It may also be readily bent to increase or decrease its thickness to allow for manufacturing tolerances as to the width of the slot.

Having thus described our invention we are aware that numerous and extensive departures.

may be made therefrom butwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In combination with a flexible tape for a Venetian blind, top and bottom" shutters therefor having their side edges rolled into beads, said beads being slotted and said tape having its ends inserted in said slots, means for removably and adjustably clamping said ends in said slots.

2. In combination with a flexible tape for a Venetian blind, top and bottom shutters therefor having their sideedges rolled into beads, said beads being slotted and said tape having its ends inserted in said slots, means for removabiy and adiustably clamping the ends of the tape.

3. In combination with a ladder tapefor Venetian blinds, a top and bottom supporting mem.

rolled beads, and U-shaped spring metal clips inserted in said slots for clamping the ends of the straps in place. I

5. In a Venetian blind, top and bottom rails therefor, a ladder tape, said rails having metal side edges, said edges having longitudinally extending slots for receiving the ends of said ladder tape, and means for removably and adjustably clamping said ladder tape ends in said slots.

6. In a device of the class described, a rail for a Venetian blind having its side edges formed to provide slots of the approximate length of the width of the ladder tape to be used on the device, a ladder tape having its free ends inserted in the slots, clips for holding the'ladder tape in the slots, each clip comprising a resilient body adapted to wedge the tape between the clip and one edge of the slot.

7. In a device of the class described, a rail for a Venetian blind having its side edges formed to provide slots of the approximate length of the width of the ladder tape to' be used on the device,-

a ladder tape having its free ends inserted in the slots, clips for holding the ladder tape in the slots, each clip comprising a resilient body adapted to wedge the tape between the clip and one edge of the slot and having laterally extending flanges for. preventing the clip from being pushed through the slat.

8. In a device of the class described, a rail for a Venetian blind having its side edges formed to provide slots of the approximate length of the width of the ladder tape to be used on the device, a ladder tape having its free ends inserted in the slots, clips for holding the ladder tape in the slots, each clip comprising .a resilient body adapted to wedge the tape between the clip and one edge of the slot and having laterally extending flanges for preventing the clip' from being pushed through the slat, said flanges conforming to the surface of the rail.

9. In a device for holding ladder tapes to the top and bottom rails of a Venetian blind comprising recesses formed in the rails, each recess having a cover plate, a slot in the cover plate adapted to receive an end of a ladder tape, and

. means to retain the tape in said slat comprising having a cover plate, a slot in the cover plate adapted to receive an end of a ladder tape, and means to retain the tape in said slot comprising a resilient U-shaped metal wedge adapted to hold the tape against the edge of the metal-on one side of the slot.

11. In a device for holding ladder tapes to the top and bottom rails of a Venetian blind comprising reeesses formed in the rails, cover plates for the recesses, slots in said cover plates adapted to receive the ends of the ladder tapes, and means for retaining the tapes in said slots comprising metal wedges, each having a body of U- shaped cross section, and a pair of flanges extending laterally from the free ends adapted to engage the sides of the slot and hold the tape between the clip and the edge of the slot.

GOTTFRID C. LAWSON. CARL LINDQUIST. 

